2. Time Warner is hiking rates. Weren’t we supposed to have actual competition between cable companies by now? Weren’t we promised that, like with electricity and gas, where NYSEG and National Fuel, respectively, handle the delivery, we could pick the generator? Why can’t I pick a different cable provider and just pay Time Warner for the delivery charge? I’m not putting a dish on my house, and FIOS is available in like 6 towns.

8. Although I had tickets to attend Obama’s inauguration, and I planned to attend with my 8 year-old daughter, I have decided against it. The thought of flying down to Baltimore for one day and battling my way in and out (and through) DC, given the estimated 5 million people expected to show up, just seemed to be too much of a logistical migraine. Instead, we’ll go to the Detroit car show (a.k.a. NAIAS) later in the week, and I’ll get to post a bunch of nonsense about cars that will please me, but that you’ll all ignore.

9. A woman hit black ice on the 990 at North French the other day, and her SUV flipped over down the embankment, killing her. Her two children, also in the car, were only mildly hurt. This is a tragedy that really should prompt someone to look into the design of that roadway. Even the slightest slipperiness causes cars to careen off of that roadway and down embankments, and I can’t imagine it would be that difficult for the DOT to add guardrails to the side of the road. This morning, I passed by the spot where the woman left the roadway, and I find that the guardrail begins just before the overpass, and there is a massive 50 – 100 foot dropoff right before it with no guardrail whatsoever. That entire stretch of roadway is, frankly, a death waiting to happen day in and day out. Be careful. We’re expected to get snow and ice again tonight.

10. During a recent drive into Canada, I noticed a truck spraying liquid icemelt to the surface of the QEW, rather than spreading salt. I wonder if there is a cost benefit to that, or whether it is significantly more effective than road salt?

11. Speaking of roads, tolls on the Thruway went up 5% this week. But don’t fret – it’s just the Authority’s way of saying, “Happy New Year”, and “thanks for staying in New York. Suckers.”

12. NYU’s Brennan Center reminds us that New York’s legislature remains among the most dysfunctional in the nation, and that few, if any, of its recommended changes and reforms have been implemented. Naturally, lawmakers legislative leaders deny that there’s a problem at all, likening more transparency and debate to the way third world banana republics do business. Of course, that is completely inaccurate, if not downright insulting, but none of it matters one whit. They don’t care, there is no impetus to change, and by and large, the people of the state of New York don’t care. At least, not in a way that would prompt lawmakers to act.

81 Responses to “O Hai”

dyster/m&t bank/maid of the mist corp.’s assault on joe anderson — after having approved all of the things they’re now saying he can’t do — is part of a wider plan by those entities to basically turn downtown niagara falls into an extension of the state parks system. m&t will finance it, maid of the mist will build it, the buffalo news will editorialize in favor of it and dyster will have get the financial backing to run for louise slaughter’s congressional seat in 2010. when the niagara falls reporter broke the story online yesterday afternoon, we expected a quick, damage-control response from the news. they didn’t disappoint.

The liquid salt vs. hard salt has been explored by several municipalities around NYS. It depends on what kind of liquid it is. There is some NYS company that developed a liquid salt that didn’t freeze when it got below 18-degrees (usually the temp when regular road salt loses its effectiveness), but it was more expensive than road salt.

Chautauqua County used to use a brine solution in addition to road salt, but got rid of the program around 2002/03 as a cost-savings measure. The brine was salt and water, so there was issues with freezing.

Hudson, Frankie P broke the story for you? Why not put him on the payroll instead of making him pay for his article like the world trade center silver coins?

Hank, did you get your gun yet? From the news today “Police say an angry 4-year-old Ohio boy grabbed a gun from a closet and shot his baby sitter.” Please keep those guns coming we need to rid this country of a few more moron’s.

as you know, mike, anderson had the misfortune of becoming involved with your pal vince anello who, according to the justice department’s indictment, turned city hall into a cash ‘n carry, pay-for-play operation. that of course has nothing to do with the fact he’s now being raped by dyster & co.

Niagara Falls corrupted? Well what about the whole county, IDA strong man Sloma is a partner in Harris beach? Nah no conflict of interest there right hudson? Now Erie’s IDA wants good ole harris beach too and guess what “Flynn will leave his job on Jan. 16 to become a partner in the law firm of Harris Beach”. Nothing goin on there either and you morons cried when Jimmy plowed a church parking lot during a blizzard.

@Mike—Yes I did–My wife got a 12,000.00 annual increase in her salary last week. And she works for a private sector company that has no union. We’re now more than “Rich” according to Democrats. Ah, high paying Private sector jobs—so many in WNY they nearly fill a thimble.

Happy New Year to the long suffering liberals of WNY, and those that enjoy watching them suffer.

If I may
1.The Obama Stimulus package is Keynesian theory personified. Sure hope this is the “Change” you were expecting and fought so hard for–cause it appears that it’s all you’re gonna get.

4. I sure don’t know what Steve Jobs has, but if it’s not terminal, I wouldn’t mind having it.

5.Sure is Odd—in my county in NC they cut the budget back 2%, and are arguing about how much to CUT the county tax rates. Ya get the government ya vote for. Seems in EC voter education is in order, or perhaps just an end to the obsession to vote for any ignoramus, as long as they’re a Democrat.

6.The only reason left for Buffalonians to hold their heads up–“At Least we’re not Niagara Falls”

7. I’ve got a cousin who retired from that place. Always sad when another manufacturing plant closes. All those schoolkids who wanted to follow their fathers into the plants—Well there’s plenty in SC/TN/AL, and other states not infected by unions.

8. Looking forward to the Auto Show stuff Alan. The estimates of 5 million are hideously exaggerated. If you check the MSM the estimates are down to about 750,000. But if you’ve been to Washington on ANY day, you’re showing your smarts.

10. We don’t get hardly any snow in this part of NC, but ice in the foothills and mountains is a problem, and Charlotte is a disaster. Mecklenburg county uses a glycol/brine mixture that seems to work well. However it gets much colder in WNY that it does here, and we don’t have ice from Oct to April. Hasn’t been below 20 degrees more than half a dozen times in 12 years.

11. Just another argument to abolish the entire Authority System in NYS.
Again, gotta vote out the Democrats if you want smaller government. Like THAT will ever happen.

12. See 11.

On a brighter note, HOPE AND CHANGE are evaporating today in a huge cloud of steam under the dome of the US Capitol. More distractions for the ‘Bamster.

Interesting the demands for comments about Richardson and Panetta, but none about Franken or Gaza.

Richardson: Too bad. I like him, and still do. I hope the investigation turns out he’s clean.

Panetta: At least one person has said that Panetta may not have CIA chops, but he can make people on Capitol Hill do things that a career spy would never have the ability to do. I guess we’ll see how it plays out.

What is there to say about Franken? He won the recount. That one’s pretty cut and dry. And I’m not sure but I think you’ve talked about that situation before.

What is there to say about Gaza? It’s not something you normally comment on. I don’t come here expecting to see articles from you about foreign affairs or international crises and I’m not sure many readers/posters do. It’s not a usual subject of yours so I didn’t think it was odd you didn’t comment on it. I don’t know why it’s interesting to you that I didn’t ask about it.

Generally, it seems you focus much more on local and domestic politics with particular attention on scandals or particularly newsworthy events within that. That’s why I thought it was odd you didn’t comment on Panetta or Richardson. Those seemed like your kind of stories. Gaza does not.

The Burris story also seems like your kind of story, but I’m not surprised you haven’t commented on it. It’s not too interesting a story on its own at this point. If he continues to fight and other pols get involved, it could get interesting. If it does escalate, then I might be surprised if you don’t comment. But thanks for your interest in my “demands”.

Richardson and Blago are very different situations and Richardson will be cleared. The Obama Stimulus plan is perfect. It should satisfy Republicans and Dems…This is Change! How about Obama banning all earmarks, and huge tax cuts. Come on GOP give credit!!

RE guardrails. You’d be very suprised to see how lame the rules are that the county follows on its roads. I have seen a few dangerous sites, addressed them with the county only to be told what is there meets the requirements – DESPITE serious accidents and injuries in those very places.

PS Find me a car that is safe, easy to load kids into and out of, manly enough to please the husband, fuel efficient, has all those neat mom-concieved buttons, gadgets and compartments i need, and an easy to clean interior – cheerios are bastards.

yes john, you’re right. just because more than 1,000 people have been slaughtered by one of america’s strongest allies using american-made guns, tanks and planes supplied by the u.s. government is no reason for the man who will become head of that government in less than two weeks to comment on it one way or the other. i realize he’s got more important things to think about, like getting his girls in the proper school and scheduling the airlift that will keep him in chicago-syle deep dish pizza for the next four years. today’s appointment of former clinton chief of staff leon panetta as head of the cia, despite the fact that the career party hack doesn’t have one single iota of training or experience in intelligence, speaks for itself.

your right hudson, its sloma’s ball washer GOP Party Chairman Henry Wojtaszek who’s the partner. So whats the difference? Harris beach is still in bed with the IDA and the GOP. loved your “that lazy good for nothing BLACK women that dyster hired” piece. Hey thanks for the red coach coupon !

didn’t john lafalce work for harris beach? he’s about as democrat as they come. if you weren’t such an idiot you’d trealize that powerful law firms are far more interested in power than in the infantile sort of politics you espouse.

he’s commented on the economy. in fact, put forth an entire new-new deal package of infrastructure and other programs, arrived at a budget to fund it etc. why is it his position to announce all that and not his position to say what he thinks about what’s going on in gaza?

casualty counts are all over the place. the israelis say it’s less than a thousand, hamas says it’s more than a thousand. you people throw the word “lie” around quite freely. i can say with all certainty that, when this woefully unequal battle is over, the number of dead will be far greater than 1,000. today the u.n. suspended humanitarian relief efforts in gaza because of the alarming number of its workers who have been killed by the idf. ditto the red cross.

the situation in gaza, and as of this morning lebanon, will certainly still be going on january 20, when obama becomes president. if he thinks israel is right he should say so and if he thinks israel is wrong he should say so.

we obviously have key strategic interests in the middle east, and now the theater of war has suddenly widened just when obama says we’re getting the hell out of there.

to remain silent while people are dying with america’s tacit approval is disgraceful.

First, casualties are not deaths. Second, casualties in war are not the same as “slaughter”. Third, more than half of the deaths are militants. Fourth, you said a thousand have already been “slaughtered”, not that you think by the end of this that many will have been. Fifth, not one single reliable, credible source has reported a thousand or more deaths. Sixth, I’d go with AP reports and UN reports of casualties over Hamas any day. In fact, I’d take the word of just about anyone over Hamas. Seventh, what’s your source for the “alarming number” of UN and Red Cross workers being killed? I haven’t heard that anywhere. Finally, once you were pushed you back-pedalled from your own claims. Sure sounds to me like you were lying. You’re a journalist and get on about journalistic integrity rants all the time. How about apply some of that sage advice to yourself. You lied. Admit it. At the very least you made claims you’re not even willing to back up. And using the word “slaughter” was out of line.

Now, back onto Obama. He has said he backs Israel’s right to protect itself in the past. He has also stated that he would do anything in his power to stop rocket attacks on his home. So it sounds like he’s already made a reasonable statement on where he stands before it was even necessary. However, the point that there is only one president at a time is not only valid, it’s crucial in dealing with international crises. It does not directly affect or involve the US, so there is even less reason for him to make a statement. When the time necessitates his involvement, I’m sure he’ll say more and do more. As it is, the time does not necessitate. And it’s not just tacit approval we have given Israel.

People will stop dying in Israel and Gaza when Hamas stops killing. If Israel has to force Hamas to stop killing, then that’s what has to happen. Yes, it’s sad that civilians and children are dying as a result of Hamas’ actions, but they (or their parents) voted these animals into power and they’re allowing them to hide behind civilians and children to orchestrate and execute their attacks. Reliable reports have stated that Egypt and other members of the Arab world did support, or at least tacitly approved, Israel taking action.

Byron, you’re pathetic. It must be hard for you to accept that the world does not revolve around you, but this site did exist before you started coming to it. My post to you was because you butted in on something you knew nothing about and occurred before you started coming here. On this issue, I have looked it up. I know what the statistics are. That’s why I questioned Hudson. You questioned without any knowledge and that’s a huge difference.

You tried this questioning on another thread when I mentioned BP said he had no credibility. You jumped in to say that you never heard that, as if that’s the ultimate determinant of truth. However, you were shot down on that when BP himself stated that he did indeed make that comment. So, my “go look it up” to you was not because it could not be backed up, as someone else did for me, but because you jumped in about something that went on before you were on here and had no knowledge of.

Uh huh. So show me the multiple times that someone said that Larry Craig and Mark Foley were indicative of all Republicans. If you can’t, you ‘re not in much of a position to lecture people about refusing to admitting a mistake.

Oh and I think the world revolves around me? Riiiiight. You made an outrageous sounding claim, I called bullshit, and you skittered away like a cockroach rather than either backing it up or admitting that you misspoke.

I didn’t skitter away. Someone else that was here at the time backed up my claim for me. It’s happened in both cases you called bullshit on me. So my claims are justified. Furthermore, no one that was here at the time denied it.

It’s fine if you don’t believe me. I cannot back up my claim since the history has been erased. But I do not think my claim is outrageous at all considering some on this site (Buffalomom) have stated something to the effect that Republicans do not know how to think. Surely, you remember that one.

But really, you should just stick to calling bullshit on things you actually know about.

Besides, I do not think the accusation of misquoting someone on a blog equates to calling someone on statements that Israel has slaughtered a thousand people. I think anyone is in a position to lecture someone on that crap. And again, BP backed me up on this one, so too bad for you.

I did not skitter away. Someone else backed me up each time you called bullshit on my claims, so I am in a position to call someone on their claims. Besides, the two cases are not equal. One is an accusation of misquoting someone on a blog. The other is a complete mistatement of facts and a horrible claim that Israel has slaughtered a thousand people. We all know better on that one. It’s all over the news. The two do not equate.

Besides, BP backed me up on this one too, so I think I’m in a good position on this site for this one as well, especially considering how rare it is for BP and I to agree on anything.

Again, just stick to questioning people on facts you actually know about. Yes, when you make claims about things that were said before you were here, it sounds like you think nothing exists without your knowledge and participation. So it is right that you seem to think the world revolves around you.

The first time I posted, I got an error message. When I went back, my post was not there. Sorry for the two posts. They don’t match because I could not remember exactly what I wrote the first time. The essence of the posts are the same.

First, “the history has been erased” is a totally new excuse – at the time you said “there’s a search on this site. Go look these things up. They’re still there.” See? So you were clearly wrong there, right?

Second, I’ve read this blog since it started. So when you claimed that on the Craig/Foley issue I “butted in on something [I] knew nothing about ” – that was also completely wrong.

Third, I didn’t say one thing about the Gaza issue, so “too bad for you” makes no sense.

But don’t admit you were wrong – the universe would probably collapse in on itself. Just go on lecturing other peoople about it.

I called Hudson on the Gaza issue and you said I was in no position to do so. That was the reference to Gaza.

But yes, I was wrong on saying the history was there. I have recently gone back and checked and it’s not. I’m guessing it was lost when BP switched formats. The history is there for more recent things. Also, if you go back and look at things in 2006, the time of the Foley scandal, each thread shows how many comments are there, but when you go into the thread, there’s nothing. It looks like the history is there, but it’s not. It’s a simple mistake, but I don’t think it ruins my ability to say anything on this site or call Hudson on his obvious lies.

And your claim that you’ve been here all along is completely new, so should I assume you’re lying? You have nothing to back that up because you didn’t start posting ’til recently. “Byron” certainly was not posting in 2006. No one has backed you up. You call me wrong and a liar when people have backed my up, so what does that make you?

I didn’t know comments were missing. Just so you guys know, I don’t have anything to do with it. Format and version updates and upgrades and mergers and changes of templates are completely out of my hands. I’m going to try and find out why some are missing.

My understanding is that my database is massive in part because of the volume of comments, but that they might disappear for a time, but were recoverable and would be recovered.

You can get everything with the Advanced Search feature on Google, and of course the Foley story only broke in late 2006, but no doubt all those comments by nasty libruls that Foley and Craig were indicative of all Republicans got misplaced somewhere, cuz Russy and hank remember them.

Mike..if Obama had commented on Gaza I am sure you and others would be all over him. Lanetta is the perfect CIA appointment..He will follow President Obama’s plan to stop TORTURING!! I don’t know where you get your info about Obama worrying about deep dish pizza

“In one house they discovered four small children – alive but terrified, emaciated and too weak to stand – lying on mattresses next to 12 corpses including those of their mothers. In a second house they found three dead bodies.”

now you want to call me a liar because i said a thousand when EVEN THE ISRAELIS are saying 750. that’s fine. there are places they can’t even get to yet in order to count the bodies.

However, this can end when Hudson stops his lies. For one thing, 7501,000. It’s a full 33% higher. Plus, when Hudson made his 1,000 claim two days ago, the number was closer to 600. So his 1,000 lie was 67% higher than the actual number. Furthermore, the article about the UN suspending aid does not mention a “alarming number of workers” for the UN and Red Cross being killed. It mentions one death from the UN. In a war zone, that’s not an alarming number. It’s also not plural and it’s not the Red Cross. It’s one. And finally, there’s still the use of the term “slaughter”. Again, it’s war and more than half the deaths are militants.

Hudson, Hamas has been slaughtering thousands of Israeli civilians for years. Where has your outrage been for all of them? Why are you now defending the slaughterer with lies? And where is your journalistic integrity? You demand it from BP who is just a blogger, but you do not hold yourself to that standard when you are a journalist. I love double standards. Even with the ‘1,000 dead’ lie or the ‘alarming number of workers for the UN and Red Cross killed’ lie, your use of the term ‘slaughter’ does not meet your own standards.

pundit, you’re quite the dick as well. what i said is that the incoming president ought to have some public position on this. now, apparently he does. the london guardian this morning reported that obama is in the initial stages of opening up a dialogue with hamas, reversing the bush doctrine of branding them a terrorist organization and having nothing to do with them. i would say this is a wise decision by obama.

It’s not quibbling when someone overstates a number by 67%. And your over-inflation of Palestinian deaths while ignoring thousands of Israeli deaths is pure anti-semitism. Your use of the word slaughter for military action while ignoring the real slaughter is disgusting and pathetic. But apparently those are two words that describe you best. I guess Jews just aren’t real people to you, so their deaths don’t count while Palestinian deaths count nearly 2-1 for you. That’s not quibble, it’s anti-semitism. Now I understand why you’re using lies to cover and defend Hamas. You’re just hoping they finish the job the Nazis started. Isn’t that it, asshole?

Come on there is no anti-semitism when you wake up and realize innocent Palestinians right now are being killed. Schools blown up and churches destroyed. I can’t speak for hudson but for me I believe being pro-Palestinian PEOPLE is different then being pro-Hamas!! Just because I am American doesn’t mean I should be held responsible for the actions of GWB!!!

Restaino, if that’s all that there was to it, then fine. But that’s not what the conversation is about with Hudson. Ignoring the deaths of militants and acting like it’s all women and children on the Palestinian side is a slanted view. Overstating deaths and using inflamatory language is slanted. Ignoring Israeli deaths and its need to protect itself is slanted. It’s certainly not journalism and does not come anyway near the standard Hudson has set for others. Besides, no schools were blown up. A mortar hit outside of a school where Hamas had just shelled the IDF from.

If you’re a pacificist or are simply opposed to all war and the associated carnage, that’s one thing. If you’re an apologist for a terrorist organization, that’s a totally different story.

And this has nothing to do with any connection between being American and responsibility for W’s actions. However, if you’re an American and some group killed hundreds or thousands of people in the US, was bombing the country on a daily basis and was sworn to the complete annihilation of the county, I would think you’d support a military action against them. Yes, civilian casualities are upsetting, but they’re part of the sad reality of war. Once that is the only option your country is left with, it’s difficult to come up with any other way. We’ve seen time and time again that Hamas has only used cease-fires to regroup, reorganize and reload. Israel has been left with no choice but to try to destroy that organization. Israel is only playing the hand that Hamas and the people of Gaza that voted them into power dealt them. Do you honestly see another way?

GENEVA – The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights called Friday for an independent war crimes investigation in Gaza after reports that Israeli forces shelled a house full of Palestinian civilians, killing 30 people.

Navi Pillay told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council that the harm to Israeli civilians caused by Hamas rockets was unacceptable, but did not excuse any abuses carried out by Israeli forces in response.

What’s your point Hudson? Yes, in war, from time to time, the wrong building may be hit. It happens, even with today’s sophisticated equipment. Yes, even civilians die. An investigation is not a conviction. It does not say the IDF purposely targets civilians. It also does not permit your anti-semitism. And it does not look good for the UN either when they never investigated a single attack on Israeli civilians specifically targeted by Hamas. But who takes the UN seriously anyway?

How about you post some AP articles quoting some Palestinian sources stating that Hamas militants are hiding in civilian homes, firing from schools and other safe buildings and wearing plain clothes in order to hide among the general population. I guess the journalistic integrity you crow about all the time still doesn’t apply. Just shows what a hack you really are and lends a whole lot of credibility to all the accusations against you. At least you were in Golisano’s pocket because he and Pigeon were paying you. What is Hamas giving you? Is this just out of the kindness of your Jew-hating heart? Keep your slanted, one-sided, racist, terror supporting views coming. I’m sure your comforted that once in a while you can find a line or two or even a full article that supports your slant. Be careful you don’t actually read anything that tells the full story. You might realize that Jews don’t actually have horns.

russell, both of my nephews are jewish, i danced at their bar mitzvahs, and my sister in law served in the idf. there is a considerable jewish contingent present at any large hudson family gathering, and i can tell you they don’t support the israeli government as blindly as you.

i would imagine that you now think obama is anti-semetic because he is opening a dialogue with hamas.

you’re obviously going to stick to your story, which is fine with me. if you would like to discuss this personally, i am ever available. in the meantime, go fuck your mother.

Obama may be opening a dialogue with Hamas, but he’s not lying and covering for them, like you are. I see nothing anti-semitic about anything he’s done or said. He’s supported Israel and will continue to.

Having Jewish friends or relatives by marriage does not give you free license to exagerate numbers or use inflammatory language. Yours is the typical racist response. Even George Wallace claimed a black friend in order to excuse his racist views. And didn’t Hitler have a Jewish grandmother? (Sorry for the digression in Godwin’s, but I think it’s relavent.)

I don’t care what your Jewish friends say, either. I have plenty of friends living in Israel right now and my wife is a citizen. I also have a few Muslim friends in Israel, too. I’m not saying Israel hasn’t ever done anything wrong. I’m just saying that they were provoked into this and left with no other option. Civilian casualties are sad, but unavoidable in war. Hamas brought this upon its people and the people of Gaza have enabled and supported Hamas. Hamas has done nothing to lessen the exposure of its citizens to these dangers. In fact, it has done nearly everything it could to actually expose them, including literally hiding behind them.

As a newspaper man, aren’t you supposed to be interested in the full truth or the entire story? You just keep telling lies and exagerations on this issue. You try explaining them away when you’re called on them, but then you respond with something worse. You expose yourself as a liar and a hypocrite everytime you post on this thread.

And by the way, some of my relatives died in the Holocaust and some survived the camps. Do not ever compare me to a Holocaust denier in any way.

I know people in the newspaper business. A large contigent attend my family gatherings. I can tell you, none of them blindly follow editorials like you seem to think Israel should.

However, Dumbass, that’s exactly what Israel wants. The problem is, after umpteen cease-fires with Hamas over the years, it’s become apparent that the only real way to prevent Hamas from re-arming is to wipe out their ability to do so. Israel will pull out when that occurs. That’s exactly what this whole thing is about.

Again, it’s not anti-semitism and comes nowhere near the crap you’ve spewed on here. Don’t try justifying your prejudice because someone else said something remotely related to one thing you said. Now you’re just looking like an idiot, but certainly no journalist.

ok….since russell decided to go ballistic, the u.n. and the red cross have condemned israel’s actions, tel aviv’s largest daily newspaper editorialized against the gaza incursion and barack obama opened up a dialogue with hamas. but russell continues to argue passionately on behalf of the u.s.-supplied military machine that is now involved in the bombing and shelling of civilian population centers.